Alright. Back with an ass-load for you guys to read. Usual warnings: Violence, Language, and Hormones.

Oh, and a slight trivial author's note: I believe that if you wish to feel the ambience that I felt when I wrote this chapter, you guys should listen to the Delicious and talented Gackt; the album of choice is Mars. I also feel that if my fic was ever made into an anime, that the opening theme for it would be the 10th track of the previously mentioned album, entitled "Dears". Piccolo's theme would be the 11th track, "Oasis". Sofia's theme would be track 3, "Emu For My Dear". So PLEASE, if you know of who I'm talking about, find his music and listen to it. End of slightly trivial author's note.


Chapter 7

Distress from Stress

"Speech" 'Telepathy' Thought "Dream"

"Vacant eyes. She stared into the lifeless, half-lidded crimson eyes of Nisou Kyouran, the woman shrouded in a consuming dark shadow that was beginning to hang over her own identity. The lifeless body of her past self lay in a massive pool of blood on the now saturated ground, her gaping fatal wound tore through her senses as did the image of the necklace, still discarded by the woman's left side.

At once, the garnet stone began to pulsate and then the whole scene changed in a flash. She now watched as someone snatched the necklace off the bloodstained ground, rivulets of crimson dripping off the garnet stone, and stood, looming over the paling form of the priestess warrior.

The shadowed figure snarled in disdain as his cold obsidian eyes ran over his twin star's body, his disappointment drawing back to a brooding agitation. He then looked at the garnet pendant he held in his palm, a dark smirk crossing his sinister lips.

The overwhelming scent of smoke and burning flesh tore through all her senses. She now faced a raging pyre that stood under a darkened sky. The somber motion of the flames cast dancing light across the vast battle-ravaged meadow, but failed to unmask the malevolent figure still engulfed in perpetual shadow, standing with impeccable posture a few meters away from the billowing flames.

The potent scent once again reached her in a sudden wave. Sofia then realized the purpose for the blazing pyre that stood before her.

Lying on a bed of hungry wood, the outline of her past life was in the center of the consuming flames, hands folded over her chest and eyes shut; she was stripped of her only piece of armor. The flames licked her hair and seemed to tortuously caress her slender figure.

A sudden pillar of fire rose up, shielding the demon priestess warrior from sight, and beginning to erase any physical evidence of her short existence.

Sofia's attention suddenly fell on the figure. Still clutching the necklace in his hand, the shadowed figure watched on as a destiny was being erased, the glow of the flames flashing over his obsidian eyes. Without betraying a gesture that revealed his true emotions, his motives became alarmingly apparent to Sofia.

The pyre began to deteriorate, as did the figure housed in the flames. With the dying of the flames came the darkened ashes that had begun to descend from the source of death; something seemed familiar about what was remaining from the fire, but Sofia could not bring herself to remember.

"Every end brings a beginning; destiny shall be fulfilled as I see fit…it shall begin again, my dear Kyouran."

The figure's cryptic remark flashed in distorted omnipresence as the scene before her began to dissipate.

The darkness pulled itself around her, intoxicating and cryptically enthralling; the same ghastly captivation that tore through her during her metaphysical encroachment of the mystical ceremony…"


He felt the silence around him seep into his consciousness for what felt like a small lifetime, the cool kiss of the marble at his back and beneath him conjured the relaxation that had eluded him since meeting his pint-sized antagonist.

He felt as if nothing could compare to the bliss that such a practice could bring over his senses…that is, before his usually trained mind began to wander. With a soft grunt, his onyx orbs appeared from under his emerald lids, as he fell away from his meditation.

Piccolo gazed around the main room, his eyes falling on the doorway that led to her quarters. He couldn't prevent the sigh from escaping his lips. I knew I was gonna regret this, he paused in thought. That old man is acting suspicious… he propped his head against the pillar behind him, the action causing his antennae to vacillate subtly.

"Humph," he exhaled slowly as he tried to erase the nagging feeling that still lingered in the back of his mind. It was as if a thought demanded to be addressed, but his will compelled it to silence.

"It didn't mean a thing." The remark resonated in the chamber. He found himself wondering if he had stated it to himself or to his judging mind. Either way, he got an answer back.

'So, you're still submerged in your own stubborn denial. How very sad,' stated aloofly Nail, emerging from the mental blockade Piccolo had submitted his own conscious to.

Piccolo rolled his eyes at hearing the familiar voice of his counterpart, figuring it was his own fault for letting his mental guard down.

'It was about time you relented. I thought I was going to be stuck in the back of your mind forever,' Nail remarked coolly.

'You probably would have, if I hadn't been distracted,' grumbled Piccolo, shutting his eyes and taking his traditional meditation pose, thinking it would be redundant to try but figured it was something to take away from Nail's oncoming rambling.

'Oh?' Nail paused carefully, 'What exactly distracted you?' His telepathic tone was one of faked severity, hoping it was convincing enough for his untrusting brooding counterpart.

'You wouldn't know about it anyway, so stop snooping,' Piccolo gruffly replied.

Nail sighed, realizing he would have to get the truth out the hard way, something he had quickly gotten used to after a now infinite number of instances.

'If you're that worried about her, why don't you let her know? I'm sure you two can come up with some sort of a solution in the 10 minutes that you're not antagonizing one another,' said Nail, unequivocally.

'Who the hell said I was worried about her!? I don't give a damn about what she's gonna go through in here! My only interest is getting the training I need. What occurs to her is none of my concern,' scoffed Piccolo, indignantly.

'You pig-headed jackass! After what Kami-sama told you, you're still going to play the apathy card?' Nail fumed with incredulousness in his tone and paused. 'You really are an "asshole,"' huffed Nail, using Sofia's past title for the Demon Lord.

Piccolo ground his teeth and clenched his jaw, looking like he had just swallowed something acrid and sour. 'If you EVER speak to me that way again, I'll put you so far out of my mind that you'll disappear! You Got That NAIL?' spat Piccolo, his bluff still echoed with resonance in the central bridge of both their consciousness.

Nail surprised the rigid Demon King when he released the most menacing/challenging cackle of a laugh he had ever heard throughout their joined existence.

'You know damn well you could never accomplish that, Piccolo. That was a poor bluff on your part…she must be really distracting you. How many times have you relived that moment, hm?' grilled Nail, the grin pulling at his disembodied lips as he brought up the instance that still baffled his counterpart.

Piccolo fell to the side onto the marble tiled floor, Nail's words acting as a tremendous shock inflicted against his pride. Six times…DAMN IT! was his mental answer as he picked himself back up. He started pacing with clenched fists. Six fucking times…it's like a fucking nightmare! Grrrrrrrrrh!

With an air of victory from the other's silence, Nail directed his next remark in a scrupulous tone. 'I'm not telling you to profess your undying love for her,' he paused as his tone faltered to one of amusement, then continued, 'just that you be upfront and tell her that you find somewhat…stressing the possibilities of her becoming injured. Is that really so difficult?'

YESSSSSS! Piccolo hissed mentally. He composed himself enough to fall into his stoic tone, 'I am not in lo—lovTHAT word with her! She might be somewhat intriguing—' Piccolo was cut off by Nail's sarcastic snort.

'Somewhat?! She's beautiful, smart, witty, and she is in no way intimidated by you. If I was in your place, I would be more than intrigued! Especially after seeing her in her scant slumber robes from before…' Nail's tone leaked an innuendo that left Piccolo utterly confused, and irritated.

'What the hell are you talkin' about!? You've been sayin' crazier shit than usual, yah know that? Whatever psychological damage you have better not be contagious,' Piccolo snapped gruffly.

'Oh come now, Piccolo! You mean to tell me that you didn't take notice of her attire and how formfitting it was? Her delicate curves, her slender legs, the slight swell of her breasts—?' Nail's blunt assertion was cut off by an uncomfortable Piccolo.

'Shut The FUCK UP, Nail!' Piccolo stopped pacing as he noticed the purple hue that tainted his cheeks in the nearest reflective surface— his mind suddenly betrayed him with the memory of Sofia and her…attire. His cheeks burned as the blush deepened and spread to the bridge of his nose and to the upper ridges of his ears.

Wiping away a small amount of violet blood from his nose, he shook away the image and growled. Nosebleed…?

"Hrrrrm…why does shit like this keep happening?" He clenched his fists at his sides, as he absently bit his lower lip— not one of his common mannerisms then looked over to the doorway of Sofia's room.

'Because you're picturing her in an erotic manner, aren't you?' snickered Nail.

'NO I'M NOT! Why is this so different? I've seen Gohan in his pajamas countless times, even in the nude a couple of times when he ran around stupidly after losing his clothes...'

Nail sighed at the other Namek's naïve-ness. You would think living on a planet where he's surrounded by beings with genders he would know something, he thought aloofly.

'It is very different, Piccolo. Gohan is your young male friend, while Sofia is the first female you've ever really interacted with. She's unique, brazen, and very attractive, even to someone of our race… specifically you. Not to mention how you both have obvious things in common with each other…' emphasized coolly Nail to his stoic-faced counterpart.

Piccolo seemed to ponder Nail's logic, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at his residual, metaphysical counterpart standing across from him on his own side of the central bridge of their consciousness.

After a terse silence, Piccolo's baritone grumble floated to Nail's acute ears. 'This never happened with that harpy Chi-Chi or that lunatic Bulma; still don't see what's up with this smart-mouthed girl…'

Nail huffed and rolled his eyes, then went about crossing his own arms irritably over his chest. Maybe he is the one with the psychological damage. 'I swear, you would think you had some relation to Son Goku, since your denseness rivals even his at times. Must I write it down for you? Or perhaps I should spell it out…even though you are Namekian, asexual, and immensely supercilious, you have a strong attraction towards Sofia and she to you. Your recurring thoughts of her and the moment after Gohan left are signs of such attraction. There! Now do you understand? Did I make it clear enough for you to process!?'

Piccolo bared his fangs and stalked over to his counterpart. He stood in front of Nail, his onyx orbs cold and menacing. 'Don't ever insult my intelligence again! Nothing of this topic is of your concern, or mine for that matter. As soon as our objective is accomplished, she'll leave this realm and return to her own damn warped world. Then she'll be out of my face and out of my life.' Piccolo paused as he glared with finality at Nail.

'From here on out, I don't want to hear another word about this sentimental bullshit, you hear me? Nothing will occur. She's human and I'm a Namek; it would be impossible for anything to happen, so it won't. Is that clear!' Piccolo stated contemptuously, the resonance of his finality fluctuating slightly in the timeless space, as he jabbed through Nail's residual image, his hand striking the nothingness and going through as if Nail's image was a hollow reflection.

Nail, with his arms still crossed, only stared at his harsh counterpart with apathy as the other Namekian pulled his arm away and turned on his heel to rejoin his own consciousness without giving the other a second glance. Piccolo stepped through the haze that divided his own consciousness from the central bridge and Nail's spiritual core.

He rolled his eyes once more at his stubborn counterpart's persistence before turning around and stepping back into his own consciousness.

Piccolo snapped his eyes open and found himself once again in the main room of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, still facing the general direction to Sofia's bedroom entrance. He rarely had those types of meetings with his counterpart, seeing as he detested having to leave his consciousness to meet at the 'middle ground' between both their spiritual cores, leaving him vulnerable to his surroundings.

This time, however, had been a necessary inconvenience. He stated what his purpose would be for the rest of the year in the chamber to his mischievous mental sidekick and would not be distracted from his task. He put all other doubts and confusion to the back of his brooding mind, and decided that it was time to begin training.

Just about time to wake up the brat and begin her year of pain and misery, he paused and couldn't help the dark smirk quirk his lips as he walked over to his still slumbering roommate's quarters. He noticed his discarded turban still on the floor from when it had been thrown off earlier, picked it up, brushed his antennae back, and put it on. Turning to face the doorway of the small room, Piccolo's mind began to concoct several painful training regimens he could force on Sofia. She's gonna wish I had just blasted her from the beginning after I get started with her. He let the low chuckle muse in his chest as he stepped through the dimensional divide and into the room.


"… Soil, blood, petals. It all filtered into her mind as did the deep chanting; every one of her senses being awakened and torn with the smells of ash and soil freshly saturated with crimson blood. She could taste death as it surrounded the ceremony.

She saw as a bowl filled with a dark liquid became illuminated by the flicker of torchlight, revealing the rippling crimson blood before rose petals as white as snow began to descend and float over the rippling surface.

The petals took in the essence of the life-giving liquid and began to turn deep red. Then the churning of ashes and saturated soil invaded her; watched as skilled figures went about mixing the dark ash left from the pyre with the unconsecrated soil where Kyouran lay discarded after death. The unholy mixture began to darken to a chunky, ink black substance-like soil and Sofia couldn't prevent the scream from tearing through her mind.

"My god! The hole in my backyard was filled with" her words died as the realization burned her insides, while it turned her skin cold as ice.

She was suddenly jolted by the image of the shadowed figure, holding an intricate box in his hand. He muttered an unintelligible word and the box opened, the silk lining flashing red from the flicker of torchlight. He placed the necklace into the box, absently tracing the silk lining with the tip of his index finger, his sinister smirk more prominent as his obsidian eyes gleamed as the garnet stone.

The scene changed to reveal a large, flat hexagonal-shaped pedestal made of polished onyx matching that of the necklace, the intricate wooden box resting on top of its surface. The ink soil began to sprinkle down over the box, falling compact with the red petals that had been added with the mixture of funeral ash and unconsecrated soil.

Covered completely, the pedestal remained hidden by the mass of compact offering that sat on its surface. The chanting grew louder as three robed figures in earthy-toned cloaks surrounded the pedestal, each reciting a garbled chant with their heads bowed.

The malevolent, shadowed figure stood off to the side, observing the ceremony with self satisfaction instead of hollow reverence. His obsidian eyes mirrored a mix of hatred and suppressed intention, as the pedestal seemed to implode inward, disappearing with the contents it carried. The chanting stopped; silence deafened her; darkness.

Then, a presence. It was familiar, but so cold and cruel… she felt it near her. She turned and saw the shadowed figure, his back to her.

Hate. Misery. Pain. He was the embodiment of those words, though she had never actually seen him. The desire to know drove her forward, closer and closer to his impeccable frame.

With a sudden jolt, she was being weighed down into the darkness, falling to an endless depth… until her conscious was brought back by a physical intruder…"


"Aaaaaaaaah!"

I sprung up to full consciousness after feeling the hard jab on my head, my left hand gripping the pendant of the necklace against my chest as the garnet stone pulsed dully in its intricate onyx band framing. Immediately, the brightness of the chamber stung my eyes, causing me to scrunch up my face as I looked up at the stoic semblance of my roommate and soon-to-be sensei.

Piccolo gave me an amused once over as he looked down at me in his cross-armed sideways stance. Instinctively I raised my hand to feel my hair, and felt the 'escaped mental patient' look my hair was sporting.

He snorted at my annoyed expression and appearance. "That's a good look for you, kid. I always wondered what an electrocuted cat would look like," he remarked smugly, only his dark eyes flashed the amusement.

I loosened my hair out of the hair tie and opened my mouth to chastise him about rudely waking me up—seeing as I was sooo close to figuring out the mystery guest in my dream, but froze when I became aware of what I was wearing. I jumped out of bed and stood before him trying to get by him. Of course, getting by Piccolo is like trying to go by a wall of solid marble. I just ended up fidgeting under his searing stare as I tried to not blush at the fact that I had an awful wedgie and that I felt stupid about having to adjust my skanky "pajamas" in his presence.

Piccolo simply stared down at me for mere seconds before his gaze intensified. "Hurry up and get ready. I won't have my time wasted by you," he stated almost harshly and turned away from me, going back out to the main room.

I'm sure if I had been in his side of the divide I would have been assaulted by a dozen sweatdrops over my head as I watched his cape-festooned back stride away.

Guess he doesn't really care about my attire. Hm… I mused to myself, pulled the offending cloth from my most private areas, and went to my dresser and pulled out my clothes for the day, still a little fatigued from my restless dream.

Collecting my things, I proceeded to walk through the dimensional line housed between my doorway. As soon as I passed the eerie space through my door and stepped into the divide of the chamber, my body was suddenly taken over by a pain that resembled that ache you get in your muscles after a lot of exercise, then my muscles flexed against the feeling all at once, leaving behind a tenseness in my joints and tendons. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? my mind shouted at my body's alien reaction. I leaned against the wall next to the doorway to get my bearings, my body soon losing the tension and relaxing again.

The fatigue of before came back, as if my body's fluke reflex action never happened.

I rubbed my tired eyes as the glare of the bright room stung without relenting. Seeing as I rarely went out, my eyes were always bothered by bright glare, especially so suddenly after waking up in a chamber of endless white.

Pushing off the wall, I trudged over to the bathroom, the tile floor stinging my feet with its perpetual chill, my eyes drooping from the lack of 'real' sleep. I stifled a yawn as I went to step up into the bathroom, when my forehead suddenly collided with the upper wooden doorframe.

"SONUVABITCH!" I cried out and stumbled back, hissing at the swelling pain on my forehead. I glared at the offending wooden panel as I rubbed the sore spot.

"What are you yelling about?" I looked towards the kitchen doorway to see Piccolo scowling at me, arms crossed. He strode towards me when my only answer was a swear under my breath. "Well?" he gruffly petitioned as he loomed over me, his annoyance very evident.

"I hit my head against the doorframe," I pouted angrily and let out a hiss when Piccolo grabbed my face, and then suddenly poked the sore spot. "Whatta hell! Don't poke me with your claw, you ass!"

Piccolo gripped my upper arm and twisted it to an angle, getting only a challenging growl instead of a whelp of pain from me. "Watch your tongue, girl! Your injury isn't serious enough for you to be bitchin'!" he snarled in disdain at me. After glaring at each other for a tense moment, he let go of my arm.

I glared up at him, my head coming up just below his chest. Wait! His chest?! But I'm shorter than that! The realization hit me fast, as I remembered that only the day before I came up to his upper abdominal muscle.

Stepping towards Piccolo's side, I went about measuring myself using him as the deductive vantage point. Sure enough, I was taller.

Piccolo must have assumed that what I was doing had an ulterior motive, since he tensed away from me, his judging glare a clear warning for me to watch it.

"What!" he growled at me, but my mind was too busy to warrant a response as I went about sating its need for an explanation for my sudden growth spurt.

I turned and stalked over to the bathroom door. I heard a demanding grunt behind me but ignored it. I stood before the step and doorframe, noticing the distinct difference from one day to another—Yesterday I was short enough that I could just step in without even worrying about banging my head, and now today I'm about… I mentally measure the difference, 4 inches taller!

My jaw dropped.

"Hey! You better not be ignoring me, cuz if you are!" Piccolo was about to threaten, but he cut himself off when I turned around and faced him, my abrupt action whipped my hair back, causing only my bangs to fall over my shoulders and graze the sides of my face.

He scowled at me, his gaze so menacing it caused my heart to leap in my chest, then as sudden as his façade appeared, Piccolo looked away from me, as if he was aggravated by my mere presence.

I cocked an eyebrow at his spur of the moment irritation, then bit my lip when my eyes trailed his cold features. Is he blushing! The voice in my head dragged out as I thought I saw a faint tint of purple blush on Piccolo's left cheek.

I shook my head to clear the mirage that my eyes must have created, then once again took note of my scant attire.

"I need to use the bathroom!" I blurted out stupidly and ran in— making sure to duck my head— to the lavatory and caught sight of Piccolo's confused expression as I slammed the sliding wooden door. When I went to instinctively lock the door, I found that there was no lock. Talk about lack of privacy.

After grumbling to myself like the retard I am, I went about using the facilities, getting dressed, washing the sleep crud out of my eyes and brushing my teeth. I combed my hair and put it up in the tightest bun possible. Then I just stared at my transformed reflection, sighing at how weird it was to just look that way, let alone be in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber getting ready to get my ass handed to me by my anime Adonis. I couldn't even conjure up the prospect of putting my fucked up dream into understanding, as the images kept flooding my mind with more vividness every minute. I saw that my forehead wasn't really hurt by my abrupt acquaintance with the upper doorframe and figured that I had at least been able to put together my growth spurt with the weird feeling that invaded me on walking over the dimensional line. Kami did say I would change in some way every time I crossed the dimensional threshold, but this growth spurt is extreme. Wonder if I'll get any taller…

I continued my absent thoughts as I went over and slid the bathroom door open, ducked, and stepped out to the Piccolo-less main room.

"Huh. Where did he go?" I asked the gravity weighed atmosphere, my voice embodied by the chamber's natural echo.

I sensed him out, and found that he was over in my side of the divide. I decided to get a bottle of water for my breakfast and head out that way, my excitement fueling my understandable anxiety. After crossing into my side of the divide, I headed for the arch entranceway— the curtains were already parted — and into the endless white.

I first looked over the simple step onto the chamber floor with apprehension, seeing as only the day before I hit the ground in such a way that Inuyasha would have felt pity for me. I took a breath and stepped out— nothing happened! I wasn't smashed against the floor, and the gravity wasn't as challenging as before. Shrugging, I started to walk out further into the whiteness.

I took a couple of swigs of water to calm my nerves, and ended up chugging the whole bottle before even getting to where Piccolo was, which was southeastward of the palace. When I came upon the gorgeous Namek I had to stifle the urge to squeal like a schoolgirl. He was performing a warm up exercise that consisted of him performing push-ups with one hand —his index, middle, and thumb fingers being what supported his hunky frame, the other held behind his back, and one leg crossed over the other. So in essence, he was putting all his weight on the three digits mentioned and on the toes of his right leg. I was baffled at how his body could stay in perfect alignment and still push up and down without losing balance and crashing to the gravity-weighed void floor.

Then there was the sight of his slightly exerting muscles and tendons as they flexed and tightened under his emerald skin. He seemed to not be aware of my presence, and I took full advantage of the fact by just marveling quietly at this godly sight.

With his cape thrown over one of his shoulders, allowing it to sway with his every movement, I was able to admire the slight ripple of his biceps and triceps as they worked together in an impeccable rhythm, as well as the subtle tensing and un-tensing of his muscle-corded back hidden under his plum gi shirt—as his unfaltering precision coursed immaculately throughout his quick warm up. He wasn't even shedding a drop of sweat, as if the activity was the equivalent of a cat nap or something!

He switched now to the other arm and leg, never faltering in the task as he began warming up again. His gaze was focused to the ghostly pale floor only inches in front of his teardrop nose, his stoic semblance chiseled into perfection.

I thanked Kami that we were on my side of the divide, seeing as I would have probably fainted from the blood loss that would occur from an anime style nosebleed and given my secret perversion away to the yummy Piccylow working out.

Maybe I should consider tying him up and having my way with him! After all, it wouldn't be rapeit'd be surprise sex.

The dirty thought got an amused "humph" out of me. I guess that was a loud enough noise, since Piccolo glanced to the side, setting his graphite eyes on me as he rose and paused in mid push-up.

"It was about time you got out here!" he remarked gruffly as he settled into the general position of performing push-ups and pushed his legs over his head in a swift motion as he performed a sort of summersault/front flip, landing with a slight patting of his moccasins as he stood to his looming height, his cape gently fluttering behind him.

He glanced at me sideways, eyeing me with a blunt, scrutinizing stare. He turned to face me completely, crossing his arms in his cool, intimidating air.

"What the hell are you wearing!? You don't actually plan on training in those clothes do you?" he inquired tersely as he glowered down at me.

Raising an eyebrow I glanced down at my attire. I was wearing a pair of comfortable jeans that had the knees cut out, a white fitted shirt with the picture of an evil little nymph on it and my black converse sneakers. I know— not normal fighting attire, but it was the kind of stuff I had in my wardrobe.

I gave him a cool stare as I answered, "Well of course. It's what I have on, isn't it!? And before you lecture me about how this isn't the proper robes for training—" I raised my hand in a silencing gesture as Piccolo was about to nag me. "I will only tell you that I intend to train in the clothes I want, and that I don't think that wearing this or a set of your pajamas," I gestured indifferently at his own trademark appearance, "will be that big of a deal on whether or not I can fight."

I know, you might be thinking that I have a death wish or something, but it was the truth. Needless to say, Piccolo's expression deepened into his brooding scowl as an aggravated grunt resonated from his chest and travel to his throat, turning into his trademark menacing growl.

I just looked at him as if I was bored, indifference written on my expression as I casually tossed my empty water bottle in the air and incinerated it out of existence with a small ki blast.

"Well, are you just gonna growl at me all year, or are you gonna start training me anytime soon, cuz I'd like to—Yikes!" The next thing I knew, Piccolo had grabbed me and thrown me onto his right shoulder with his arm holding my legs into place, and started striding away, the small palace becoming further and further away. It was as if I was a 5''6 sack of potatoes being hauled by the Demon King— the thought of him suddenly tossing me on the purple-draped bed and crawling onto me popped into my perverted mind and I could feel my whole body grow warm from the lack of the right time or circumstance I was in for such a fantasy.

I snapped myself out of my speechlessness and started kicking my legs and tugging on his cape. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I roared incredulously, since he seemed to ignore my struggling.

Then for the second time in two days, my ass became acquainted with hard floor as Piccolo dropped me on my butt.

"DAMNIT!" I glared up at him, but choked on my next words when Piccolo lowered himself to be face to face with me. I have to say, this was his most intimidating expression yet, his jaw clenched tight, the slight flare of his nostrils as he inhaled angrily, with his graphite spheres boring into my own.

I bit my tongue at his intense expression, but even the anxiety of getting my ass kicked around could not subdue my mental perversion. God! I just want to kiss those sexy lips of his…

"Sofia!" I snapped back to attention at the stern tone with which he addressed me, and found myself drowning in his dark eyes, but found that the sentiment I had expected in them was absent. Instead, his eyes gave this reflection of coolness; no anger was filtering in them.

"Listen. I want you to take this training seriously; this is no game. If you really intend to be of some use in the battle against that bastard Frieza, I suggest you quit screwin' around. The last thing I need is for you breaking your neck cuz you're too busy being your smart-ass self," he paused his stoic monologue and grabbed my chin a little harshly, tipping my face upward so that I focused on his next words. "And I don't like wasting my time on what would be futile causes; training you is turning into such a cause."

He let go of my chin and stood up, looming over my form as he turned away from me. I jumped to my feet and reached for his hand just as he was about to walk away from me. I grabbed his hand. "The last thing you'll think when we start training is that I'm a "futile cause", Piccolo." The Namekian warrior stopped and turned back to me, eyeing me with suspicion. I felt his hand tense at the contact with my own, so I let go. "You train me, and I'll surpass your expectations. I'm a fast learner, not to mention prepared to have you as my sensei…if you'll still have me."

Piccolo cocked an eye ridge at my determined tone, then broke all protocol when he gave me a satisfied smirk. He crossed his arms. "No one can say you don't have spunk, kid. Not that I haven't found that out already," he paused, then went back to his business-no-bullshit tone, "Have you had any combat training before?"

"Not really combat training, but I did take martial arts for two years," I answered with an un-helping smile.

Piccolo snorted, as if my reply was a sad joke. "Oh really! What kind of martial arts, Tae Kwon Do or something!?" he remarked more than asked in this cynical and sarcastic way.

I scowled. "Exactly." His expression turned into one of arrogance, as if I had just confirmed some pitiful fact about myself.

"Hmph. Well then," he swiftly got into his fighting stance, an arrogant gleam in his eye, "try coming at me with all you got."

"…"

I'm gonna spar with Piccolo...I'm gonna die.


I got into my old Tae Kwon Do stance, feeling really stupid for even doing so. Piccolo still held that superior air as he watched me, his brow casting shadow over his dark eyes.

Knowing that I would get my ass handed to me if I even tried to go at him with my poor fighting experience, I fell out of my stance and walked over to him.

Piccolo cocked an eye ridge, and gave me a supercilious smirk as he remained in his stance. He snorted, "What's wrong? Afraid to show me your 'martial arts' abilities?"

His tone was so cocky, but I held back the urge of making him eat his words. For now, anyway!

"You know you'd wipe the floor with me—" he quirked his lips into a victorious smirk— "At least in this moment you would. Just train me. I know you won't be able to ditch me in the wilderness for the first six months, so we got a lot of time to kill," I replied coolly.

Piccolo fell out of his stance with a smug grunt.

"Humph. Fine, but before I train you I gotta see what I'll be working with." He said this in a business tone as he crossed his arms and gazed down at me.

I have to say, I almost swooned at the naughty implications that my mind conjured up at his statement. Damn, how I'd like to work you, Piccolo, my naughty mental comment caused me to trail his frame with an approving glance, which worked to answer my sensei's hidden stipulation.

I got back into my stance, trying to hide my shaking knees as I faced the intimidating Z Warrior awaiting my move of attack. He was standing in a straight stance, his slender-yet-musucular, fabulously toned arms at his sides.

Holy crap! Should I charge head on, or maybe I can try to phase out? Argh! Whatever I do, he's gonna have me kissing the floor in a second! I huffed in my mind, the irritation distracting me.

"Anytime this year, kid!" I looked over at Piccolo's stoic semblance, only his eyes reflected his impatience.

I grunted and focused. I decided to go for the latter of two plans: I charged head on towards the apathetic Namek. But before I was close enough to be swung at, I jumped in the air and kicked my foot out, dead aim for his chest. Piccolo swiftly sidestepped, grabbed my leg and swung me so hard against the ground that I saw spots in my blurred vision, the wind knocked out of my lungs.

"That was pathetic! I could see your attack coming before you even did. Attacking me head on was the most absent-minded thing you could have done, kid," Piccolo chastised me with the intensity of a physical beat down. He glowered down at me. "Get up! Before I drag you up by your hair!"

I hissed out a growl and managed to pull myself up, the welt on my back already brushing against my shirt. I stood as straight as possible, my eyes boring into Piccolo's contemptuous orbs. Without saying a word, I went at him, punching, kicking as fast and with as much force as I could. He didn't even bother to block— all he did was sidestep or swing his frame into a dogging counter.

Frustrated, I threw a punch aimed at his face, but he expertly caught my wrist, pulled it at an awkward angle and twisted it against my back, pinning the limb painfully in place.

"Grrrrrrrhhhhhhh!" I hissed painfully as Piccolo let my arm go, not before knocking me to my knees with a swift jolting kick to the back of my legs.

I landed hard on my knees, skidding slightly, hunched over and gasping for needed air, bracing my position with my unhurt arm. My vision was wild, and so were the rest of my senses as two moccasin-clad feet appeared only a foot away from my nose.

The pain was shooting up my arm. I gripped my shoulder to try and relieve the prickling, jarring feeling that was built up there. I sat back on my knees, too aggravated to meet Piccolo's intense glare as he stood looming over me with his arms crossed.

"Your pretentiousness isn't gonna work for you now, kid!" he paused his harsh tirade to pull me up by the arm that gripped the other still dulled one. I stood straight, trying not to let my legs buckle from the sore throb that was introduced by the jolting kick they had received. "Now I know exactly what to do with you," he let go of my arm, causing me to wobble slightly, "First off, improving your timing. You might have landed that first kick if you had just timed it right. You also have to get it through your head that you can't always strike straight at your opponent; overwhelming your opponent with multiple blows from every angle will always work in your favor, that is if you have at least an inkling of an active and analytical form of thinking."

The whole time Piccolo tore into my poor fighting ability, he seemed to dissect me from the inside out with his cool and calculating gaze. I just stood there and took his scrutiny, knowing full well that to interrupt him would warrant a swift crack to my face.

Piccolo continued his meticulous scrutiny. "Your punches and kicks need a little work, but they aren't that bad; you aimed to go through, which should always be your goal during battle," he remarked stoically as he loomed over me in his trademark casual stance.

"Thanks…" I muttered after his comment, which got his gaze to intensify on me.

"For what!?" he spat gruffly, as if he was on guard for any veiled insults I could throw at him.

"For the compliment," he cocked his head to the side, confusion flickering for a small instant on his chiseled features. "Getting technique advice from you is pretty cool, seeing as I've watched you countless times in combat over the years," I muttered like a shy fangirl, diverting my gaze to my converse sneakers, letting my hand fall from the shoulder of my injured arm; the pain slowly eased to a dull numbness.

Piccolo gave me this cocky, menacing smirk as he snorted, "Alright, kid. It's time to get to the real training. And don't worry— I'm gonna try to keep you standing long enough for you to see what true martial arts is."

I'm wet with anticipation, sensei, was my cynical and morose thought as we immediately kicked into the niddy griddy of my rigorous fighting lessons.


"C'MON! You're too damn slow, kid. The next time you put up a half-assed defense like that I'll knock your head off your shoulders. Focus!"

Oh yeah. Piccolo as a sensei is fantabulous! Don't know if it can compare to getting a bullet in the head, but it's getting there! I grumbled in a mental sarcastic huff as I picked myself up from the floor, trying not to exert any pressure on my left side from Piccolo's spontaneous kick to my ribs.

It had been a couple of hours into my training with Piccolo. He had taught me the fundamentals of having a defense equally solid as my offense and taught me how to use my size and speed to my advantage. We had just gone over the grappling techniques and had long since gone to blocking, when he wanted to get a perspective of my progress, so we started sparring. Holy-Shit! It was the most terrifying experience, not because I was afraid of him, but because I feared forgetting any essential moves and having him berate me.

So far, I favored my offense more than my defense, which betrayed me a lot because he kept exploiting it during the fight session. I hate having someone just tearing into me, and having to keep quiet and take all of it.

I didn't say a word and just got back into stance. There was a searing stinging from all my wounds. I had bruises all over my forearms from blocking Piccolo's punches and my knees and thighs screamed for mercy from all the blows inflicted by Piccolo's knees as he would try to get a kick in. My pants were torn in random spots and my knees were scraped from their constant skidding against the chamber floor.

Rogue strands of hair poked out from their place and would stick to my sleek and sweaty skin; the flesh of my knuckles burned as the sweat seeped into the gashes sustained by the contact they made with Piccolo's face and his own knuckles as our fists collided with each other at multiple times through the sparring. Punching Piccolo is like driving your fists into brick, over and over and over again.

Even with the present factors, I was back in stance, awaiting my sensei's next command to charge at him, but it wasn't uttered.

Piccolo came towards me, his stoic mask chiseled into his features as he stood before me, the subtle scrapes that I had submitted to his face would have been almost unnoticeable if it wasn't for the bruises that clashed with his emerald complexion. He gave a sort of visual inspection of my wounds and then focused his graphite gaze on mine.

"We'll pause the sparring for now. I want to switch over to my side of the chamber," he stated in his commanding baritone voice.

He walked by me and went into the direction of the palace. I followed close behind, marveling at myself for not having a limp. I surveyed my wounds and figured they weren't that serious. At least I'm keeping my end up of the bargain. In just a couple of hours I learned a shit load of fighting and we've even sparred. Wonder why he wants to go to his side, I remarked to myself as we stepped into my room through the archway entrance and headed for the doorway leading into the main room.

The eerie swishing of the air greeted my skin, relieving the stinging of my exposed wounds slightly. As we began to walk from one end of the room towards the pillared steps leading to endless white, I couldn't help but admire Piccolo's tight, firm ass— his cape was over a shoulder, giving me visual access— and I debated whether to pinch it or just give it a nice bite when my face suddenly collided with his sweaty back. He had come to a brisk halt in his stride, and I was too distracted and ended up with my face draped in the sweat-soaked cloth of his gi shirt, his rugged scent intoxicating me.

Mmmmmmpiccylow…! Without my permission, my hands gripped the sides of his shirt and my body leaned forward, so my face buried further into the cloth and scent, and my forehead rested against his incredibly tense back. I realized that his whole body tensed at my contact, which was enough to snap me back to reality.

Before I even attempted to step away from the Namek's sweaty back I was gripped and pulled around him. The next thing I knew I was submerged in Piccolo's endless black depths, a vein slightly throbbing on his left temple.

"What-Are-You-DOING!?" he snarled at me, his hands gripping my shoulders hostilely as he glared and bared his fangs at me.

Heat burned my cheeks. I felt like a HUGE pedo, and I couldn't even meet his gaze. I muttered an apology, but I could still feel his smoldering gaze on me even after he let go of my shoulders.

"Are all you females this lascivious, or is it only you?! You'd think you were trying to mate with me or something!" Piccolo spat out tersely.

My eyeballs shrank to pinpoints and my jaw dropped, my face must have been crimson from the blush of embarrassment that I could feel wash over me.

"Well? Explain yourself. Why the hell are you always violating me?" I internally flinched at his icy tone, his expression cold and almost deadly.

I tried to speak my evasive excuse, but he glared down at me, making me incredibly nervous. There was no excuse, but there was a confession. My breath caught in my throat, but the words that my mind hadn't filtered out to be audible flew out of my mouth on their own accord. "Because I like you!"

Piccolo's eyes widened and his jaw tightened as a huge sweatdrop appeared over his turban-clad head. My heart raced— I just confessed my feelings for him! OMG, why did I say it?! even with my mind shunning my lips for divulging the secret, my mouth poured out all that I'd been holding from him.

"I have always liked you—I like to watch you work out and flex and tell people to fuck off and I especially like when you get rid of your cape and turban with one swift move before every battle! Even when you fought against Goku in the Tenkaichi Budokai and almost killed him I was rooting for you to win! And being locked in here with you is awesome and just being close to you is provoking me to do crazy shit, so pleeeeze forgive me for wanting to molest you and violate your private space—I just can't help it anymore!"

All my pining for the Namek came forth in a steady and vehement stream of words, the flow of words inundating me. The next thing I knew, I was short of breath from my declaration, and I opened my eyes— I had shut them as my embarrassment prevented me from being able to even look at the delicious Namek— to see Piccolo slumped to the floor, spinning spirals substituted his onyx eyes as he twitched from my verbal overload.

"Um…Piccolo?" I lowered myself to a perched position and shook him, trying to snap him out of his disturbed trance. "Hey!" he gave me no reaction, so I decided on a drastic measure to bring him back. "Do you need me to give you mouth to mouth?" That did it.

"ARGHNOOO!" he stumbled back with a stutter in his voice, blushing handsomely as he eyed me with incredulousness.

I couldn't help give him a wry smirk. "You're so cute—and probably a great kisser, too," I muttered flatly and got up.

Piccolo's adorable expression washed away to bring forth his menacing glare and his trademark frown. Before he could say anything I sprinted over to the steps leading out to the chamber floor and stepped out. Satisfied with the distance between myself and the now scowling Namek, I flashed him a Goku-style grin and the peace sign.

"C'mon, Piccolo! Don't give me that bratty look and get your nice ass out here. After all, you're the one that wanted to switch to this side of the divide. I bet you just want to have home field advantage for your courting of me— you Namekian Casanova, you!"

Piccolo sprung up. "What the hell are you talking about, you delusional psychopath!? I was doing no such thing! I'm your sensei, dammit—I have no intention of—" his rare and emphatic rant was cut off as I phased in front of him, something he had obviously not expected.

I grabbed the front of his cape collar and pulled him down, planting a smooch on his cheek. "I know, I know— no need to get all defensive. You really don't take a joke well," I let go off the cloth and grinned up at him.

"…are you always gonna be like this?" he asked after a terse pause, giving me a stern look as he tried to regain his façade of the no-bullshit-taking Demon Lord as he took his usual cross-armed stance.

"Yes. I will sporadically molest you physically and mentally, so I suggest you get used to it, since the outbursts will be futile to avoid," I answered in an ostentatious tone and gave him a mischievous grin.

Piccolo shook his head. "It's my own fault for agreeing to be here, but don't cross the line like that again! I'm not here to be you're—whatever it is you believe I am, so keep your hormones in check while you're around me. The next time I won't be so forgiving," he stated commandingly and gave me an intense glare to emphasize the point.

"Too bad I didn't bring any rope. Tying him up is definitely out of the question," I mused out loud to myself as I shrugged at Piccolo's statement and began to head back out to the chamber floor. I felt more then saw him give me a heated glare, as he followed me out to the void just beyond the palace steps.

After walking at a steady pace away from the palace, I remembered that Piccolo never clarified his reason for wanting to switch over to his side of the divide. I brushed the thought away, figuring that he probably wanted to test my fighting skills on his side and compare with what he saw on my side.

I continued to muse over insignificant things, like whether or not Gohan had gotten screwed with that asshole tutor yet, or if Bulma got that awful perm.

"You wanted me to win?" The question made me halt in stride and in thought as I turned to face the gorgeous owner of that mystifying baritone.

"What? Oh. You mean the Budokai against Goku?" he gave a slight nod of confirmation. "Yes. I really wanted you to win."

I turned back around and kept walking, hoping the subject would be quickly dropped— I didn't want to delve into more of my fangirl feelings for him, but I could feel Piccolo still halted in his spot. I stopped, turned and strode back to him. His expression was thoughtful, as if he was remembering something of long ago. I watched him with an absent sort of fascination; his handsome features retained his brooding scowl, but were softer, as if whatever he was thinking of brought him a sort of solace.

"Piccolo…did I say something that—" I was cut off by Piccolo sighing in exhalation. His intense gaze focused on me, his eyes of polished onyx flickered with something I could not recognize.

"That was so long ago…" he muttered somewhat pensively as he looked down at me. I looked away, feeling uncomfortable under his heavy gaze. It was…

"Is your infatuation that hopeless—that you actually wanted me to destroy Goku and enslave the world for my own purposes?" his rumbling question was stoic, veiling any curiosity he could have really felt.

I snapped my attention back to him, arching my eyebrows at his inquiry. I thought about it, but I could only come up with one answer. I set my gaze on his alluring features, focusing on his black depths.

"Yes."

The gorgeous Namek didn't flinch, only raised a brow ridge and crossed his arms with a skeptical air. "You're weird." His tone was serious, but the fact that that phrase came from his lips was so funny to me.

I laughed, smiling at him genuinely. "Hm, your powers of perception are quite advanced. I know I'm a weirdo; still doesn't change the fact that you're a sexy-ass mo'fo'."

Piccolo cocked his head and grunted— he looked so cute! Before he could ask what the hell that meant, I giggled and shook my head. "Nevermind. Hey, why did you wanna switch to this side?" I asked as I fixed my disoriented bun and glanced at him sideways.

Piccolo seemed to forget about our previous conversation as he gave me an unexpected, menacing smirk, narrowing his eyes and showing off a fang at me. UH OH! I don't like that look, was my child-like thought.

He walked past me, keeping purposely quiet as he gestured for me to follow. I humphed loudly and followed, trying to figure out just what my sensei had planned for my hide.

After walking the distance of two football fields away from the small palace, Piccolo stopped and faced me. "Alright, kid. So far you've been decent in combat," a pleased grin began to quirk my lips, "but your defense sucks!" My grin turned into a thin line and a blue blush streaked the bridge of my nose.

"That's why we switched to my side. Here, what I'll show you will be easier for you to pick up, not to mention more interesting to see," my sensei announced in an offhanded-like tone.

"Is it a new technique? I mean, that will help me with my defense?" I asked with a rising trepidation, the atmosphere of the void becoming an irritation more than a serious problem.

Piccolo snorted. "If this doesn't help you guard your ass from getting pummeled then nothing will," he said in an apathetic tone, while he pulled at his cape collar.

Well! Out with it already! He's actually making me nervous, I grumbled mentally.

As if to answer my mental remark, the intimidating Namek suddenly swung at me. I blocked just in time by crossing my arms in front of me, his fist causing tremors of pain to shoot to the bone. He pulled his fist back and stepped back, as if convinced of something.

The stinging in my forearms was back with intensity as I glared at him. "What the hell was that?!" I shouted at the stoic-faced Namek before me.

"Just proving a theory I have. You have good reflexes and you are able to block, you just wish not to when we spar. That's senseless and foolish! An opponent would be able to overwhelm you in battle because you just charge blindly—no regard for protecting yourself, just on landing the punch. That is why this next training exercise is a fool proof way of enabling your combat senses to put out a flawless defense with your offense."

He leapt back a couple of yards, until there was at least 30 feet resting between us. "Now," he shouted to me as he held his right hand to his side and started charging up a golden sphere of ki, "before we get to that, you have to learn how to block ki blasts and other energy attacks."

My eyes widened at the realization of what he intended to do with that sphere. I heard him chuckle soft— probably from the 'OH SHIT!' look that was written on my face, and then he stated in a wry sort of tone, "This is incredibly simple, kid. Just increase your ki to a subtle increment and slap the blast away from you. If you're ever taken by surprise and you don't have time to slap or dodge the energy attack, just put your arms in front of you and let your ki fortify your forearms to decrease the amount of damage you'll sustain."

I nodded absently and tried to focus on my exercise while I tried to ignore the voice in my head that screamed at me to get the hell out of the way. Just relax! CONCENTRATE. Must concentrate or I'm fried!

My gorgeous but menacing sensei added the final energy touches to his ki sphere and hurled it at me, the swirl and crackling of the energy rushing in a compact stream toward me!

I stood there waiting, waiting for the exact moment to increase my ki, measuring for the right instant, and it came. With a shout, I slapped the hot, prickling energy away from me with my left hand. Soon afterward I heard the muffled roar of the explosion buzz in the far distance of the endless chamber. I looked over in utter amazement at the feat I had just accomplished, when my senses sharpened at the feeling of another energy attack rushing my way. I snapped my attention back to Piccolo just in time to see an intense stream of golden energy just feet away from decimating me.

Thrusting my crossed forearms in front of me, I barely got enough energy in time to brace my limbs. The energy crashed into my blocking forearms with almost bone-crushing strength, pushing me back with tremendous force at least 25 feet away. I came to a skidding halt and instantly fell to my battered knees, gasping for breath lost from the adrenaline rush. I looked over my arms, noticing that no major damage occurred; only a few scratches ran up and down them and a pair of stinging welts at the center of my forearms.

My clothes were singed at the edges and dirty with soot, as if I had grabbed coal and brushed it on my attire. The rubber under my sneakers was warm and the pattern that was once under them was nonexistent.

"Goddamn!" I uttered as the fact that I wasn't torn apart by the attack fell on me like a brick. I was floored, mentally of course.

"That was the most half-assed block I've ever seen!" I looked up and saw that Piccolo had crossed the distance that was between us and was presently looming over me, judging me with his intense gaze. "Letting your guard down like that will get you killed instantly. No opponent is gonna wait for when you're ready to take an attack, kid. You should've been focused, not distracting yourself with a simple accomplishment that anyone could've done."

I placed my palms flat on the chamber floor and pushed my shaking frame up; stood on wobbling legs, but managed to steady myself. Huffing in aggravation, I bit my tongue and kept quiet, not wanting to incite a quarrel with Piccolo by any means necessary.

He simply glared at me then turned away with a grunt, his cape fluttering with his brisk stride as he stalked a good distance away from me. Rrrrrrgh! He's right. That was incredibly stupid! I will NOT let it happen again.

With my mental declaration stated, I got into stance just as Piccolo halted and turned to face me. I noticed the subtle twitch of his brow at seeing me ready for anything. He humphed loudly and got into stance.

"Well, kid. So you know, I won't hold back in this sparring session," he paused with smugness, then added with seriousness, "but you will."

That statement snapped me to attention, pulling me out of stance. "What do you mean? I don't—" I was cut off by Piccolo's commanding growl for silence. I bit my lip to keep from speaking. He seemed to relish in my self-imposed muteness, since he didn't submerge the half smile that quirked his lips.

"As I told you before, I have a fool proof exercise that will make you rely on your defense, and only on your defense. You will not be allowed to fight offensively during this session. You're to only block my advances and attacks, not reciprocate them with your own. Is that understood!?" he commanded tersely, his tone rough and sparing no morsel of mercy.

I gave him a curt nod, repressing my dumbstruck expression with one as stoic as possible. Getting back into stance, I exhaled loudly and sharpened my senses for anything. Silence reigned in the endless void, not even our breathing was audible. I knew that he was trying to psych me out, waiting for me to lose focus so he could charge at me, but there was no way I was gonna let that happen again.

Then with sudden determination, and with a calculating semblance, Piccolo began to charge straight at me, his left fist pulled back in preparation to strike. I strengthened myself and prepared for the rapid combos and merciless blows, but got a surprise when my sensei phased out before even reaching me.

SHIT! I shouted in a mental panic; snapped my gaze all around me, but there was no sign of Piccolo. Then suddenly, my senses told me to duck. A flicker of ki shot up in my mind indicating that my opponent was behind me and about to strike. I ducked my frame out of the way just in time from getting a roundhouse kick to the side of the head. I snapped backwards to face Piccolo and blocked his elbow that intended to crash into my back.

"Not bad," the Namek remarked in a smarmy tone. I jumped back to give myself some space from him, still in stance. "But you're still too slow, kid." Suddenly he was right in front of me! He threw a punch and I blocked it, then it was a kick, a knee aimed for my gut, a chop at my neck, and then it was rapid combos with all having the purpose of doubling me over or cutting me in half. I barely managed to dodge, block, or duck out of the way in time, but I was still keeping myself alive.

It was incredibly frustrating, cuz just when I would think I found a rhythm to Piccolo's strikes, he would throw something else in, like swipe at my legs and send me crashing to the floor on my back.

I landed hard, the wind knocked out of me. My vision was blurred but my senses spiked and I rolled out of the way from the moccasin foot that would have bared down on my skull. I crouched and swiped at Piccolo's ankles, but as he was falling backwards, Piccolo threw his arms back and flipped a couple of paces away.

I growled in aggravation and pulled myself up, facing the unaffected Namek that glanced over at me from his cross-armed stance. He fucking loves this. And I can't even lay a finger on him! I clenched my jaw and fists, trying to repress the urge of knocking his head back with a good sock to the chin.

"Well, I have to admit that I am impressed. I haven't even landed a hit yet," he paused his offhanded tone and faced me completely. "But that's gonna change very soon."

Then, this glow of golden light began to engulf his frame and flashed brightly and he began to shout a feral growl. The brightness made me cover my eyes with my forearm. When it was over, I looked back at where Piccolo had been previously standing and felt my jaw tighten painfully and my eyes widen with more than apprehension.

Standing only 10 meters away from me were two VERY menacing-looking Piccolos. His split form? He's gonna go at me with his split form! I shouted with panic in my mind and got mechanically back into stance.

The Piccolo at the left cracked his knuckles and popped his neck from side to side while the Piccolo on the right rolled his shoulders back and stretched his arms forward.

"Hm, this should be interesting," the Piccolo on the right snorted as he gave me an intense look. The Piccolo on the left grunted in agreement and added, "Lets see how good you are at fending off two opponents at the same time, kid."

They both phased out. "Fuck."

Next thing I knew, my senses were in chaos as I felt the same ki on either side of me about to strike me with crushing blows. I back flipped out of the way, sensing the collision of two fists and the crackling of aura as they met.

I snapped back up just in time to see a fist come at me. I dodged the punch but was doubled over with a kick to the stomach from another angle. I clutched my aching midriff and stumbled back coughing and gagging, my throat going dry.

"Pathetic." I glanced upward to see one Namek looming over me and the other just out of the corner of my eye at the right. I clenched my teeth and painfully pulled myself to stand straight, giving the Namek in front of me the dirtiest look in existence.

The acrid bile rose in my mouth. I spat on the ground, missing his moccasins by a few inches and I ground out, "Needing the help of your split form just to land a hit is what I consider to be pathetic!" I could no longer hold my tongue; was furious and ready to "reciprocate" all his shit 10 times over.

I could feel my ki swirl into my bloodstream, and felt the slight crackling and flicker of my aura come to life around me.

My statement was the equivalent of spitting in Piccolo's face, and I knew it. In an instant, both Nameks were at me on either side, snarling and growling, pounding into my blocking arms and counters as we moved from the ground to battle in mid air.

I couldn't help the cocky smirk pull at my lips as I found myself holding my own against the onslaught. Then, on a semi high from the pure power coursing through my veins, I noticed that I was only holding my own against one of the menacing doubles.

Noticing my sudden realization, the Piccolo that was delivering his fierce combo smirked knowingly and almost mockingly at me. Then I felt why he was smirking. A little above where we were battling up in the air, I could sense that the other Namek was presently charging up one of his trademark finishers.

I couldn't help the quick glance towards the amazing pull of energy that was throbbing and spiking in the back of my mind. All I had to see was the two energy-glowing fingers that he held up to his brow to know what I'd be getting.

THE SPECIAL BEAM CANNON! OH FUCK! I screamed at myself and tried to fend off the attacks from the merciless double, but I lost my edge. The Piccolo in front of me nailed me with a punch to my right side and a knee to the stomach, instantly doubling me over with a strangled wordless shout choking me.

Next thing I knew, two laced fists collided into the center of my back, sending me closer and closer to the white floor. I pulled at all my senses and commanded them to make me stop. I saturated my bloodstream with all the energy in my body and willed myself to slow down. Managing to flip over and stick my legs out, I landed forcefully to the ground in a crouch.

"Grrrrrgh—DAMMIT!" I shouted from the throbbing in my calves and thighs, glaring up at both of my supercilious opponents. Then I realized I was only glaring at one Piccolo. OH NO HE WON'T! I quickly pressed my hands firmly against the ghostly white floor and kicked my legs back, succeeding in nailing the missing double who had just phased behind me in the chest, sending him stumbling back from me.

I clenched my jaw after remembering that I wasn't supposed to fight offensively, and knew that I'd be pounded as soon as I let my guard down. I jumped back into stance then charged at the Namek that was snarling at me for my insolence.

"HYAH-RRARGH-HAAH—!" I was in a rapid battle with the furious double and scarcely landing any punches or kicks, but neither was he. Then, just when I thought I was gonna actually get to sock him on the chin, the bitch phased out, and planted his heel in my lower back, sending me flying and skidding against the harsh gravity-weighed floor, my hair coming lose from the bun and flailing around me. I staggered up, hissing at the pain in my right leg, which unceremoniously banged into the ground hardest when I skidded against the chamber floor.

Then, time slowed down as I heard on of the most truculent shouts ever uttered in anime.

"SPECIAL-BEAM-CANNON!"

I looked upwards and saw the spiraling surge of energy heading right for me. IM GONNA GET SKEWERED! I couldn't move, let alone block— my arms were aching and my legs were stuck to their spot.

The fear that began to intoxicate my senses suddenly burned and collided with another emotion…hate. I hated being weak, vulnerable something that could be disposed of so easily. My blood boiled, my aura seethed and the baleful shout that tore from my chest roared in the echoing dimension.

Next thing I knew, my senses flashed and crimson light burst from my aura, radiating outward with a smoldering intensity that was something like static and blistering heat all at once.

I heard what was like a sonic boom, then a searing brightness engulfed the sky as the attack collided with the crimson light, which I finally noticed to be an energy force field encasing me in the center.

After the attack dissipated, causing the atmosphere to reek of scorched ozone, the energy field died and shrank back into my aura.

My arms fell to my sides— they had been stretched upward, what I believe was how I kept the force field up— and I fell back on my ass, then on my back, completely worn out. Spots distorted my vision as I noticed another bright light flash then dim. I closed my eyes and just inhaled and exhaled with shallow breaths, trying not to make myself hyperventilate with the little will I possessed.

My hearing was sort of muffled, but I managed to pick up the sound of padding steps coming toward me.

Then I felt cloth brush my left arm. "Hey!" My hearing started to clear up. I looked up to be accosted by two pools of onyx that were focused behind narrowed emerald eyelids.

"Hm, nice to see you're still conscious, kid." There was a mocking twinge in Piccolo's tone, but it was almost nonexistent, due to the fact that his voice was gruff and ragged from exerted breath. He was kneeling at my side, his cape slightly brushing my arm as it swayed with his movements.

I just let my eyes trace his handsome face, too tired to even make conversation.

I guess the yummy Namek was sort of surprised by my silence, since he put up three fingers and held them away from my face. "How many fingers am I holding up?" he said in a gruff, almost husky tone, a smirk pulling the corner of his lips.

"Hm, depends. Tell your clone to stop dancing behind you so I can concentrate," I snorted in a scratchy tone.

Piccolo looked back with a sweatdrop on the side of his head. I coughed out a laugh, which got him to set his intense gaze on me.

"Very funny. Can you stand?" he grumbled, but his scowl softened a bit.

I sat up, and Piccolo stood to his imposing height. I pulled my knees up and prepared to perform the laborious task of hauling my ass up to stand, but then an unexpected hand was hung in front of me, offering to assist me up. I glanced up at Piccolo, who was nonchalantly looking off to the side. A smile crept over my lips, and I accepted the gesture, taking hold of his large emerald hand, his tapered fingers closed around mine as he pulled me up to stand.

As soon as I stood, I stumbled on wobbling legs and I ended up leaning against Piccolo, who sort of stopped me from falling, awkwardly of course.

With the left side of my face brushing against the cloth of his gi shirt, I had a perfect advantage for inhaling his rugged scent, heightened by the sweat that still clung to his leather-like skin.

I felt a gentle hand brush the hair on the back of my head, then run slender, but strong fingers through my hair. I stiffened, but then relaxed—my hair is my total weakness! I love having someone brush it for me. I feel like a big cat, of course I don't purr or do anything weird like that.

The realization that Piccolo was sort of petting me and simply allowing me to be this close to him overwhelmed me. I wanted to stay like that forever, just being held against him, surrounded by his scent and his warmth.

But of course, he had to jinx the moment by talking. "You need to rest. Go to the palace and eat something. That is if you can stand straight and stop leaning on me," he remarked in his trademark gruff and harsh tone, sort of nudging me away so I could stand by myself.

I couldn't repress the smirk as I stood away from him and stretched, surprised to see that most of the throbbing and stinging pain that a lot of my body felt was drawing back to subtle aches.

"It's fine. I'm ready to go another round." I cracked my knuckles and stretched some more, finding that my stamina reserves were being almost miraculously replenished by some inner force or something.

Piccolo frowned at me, his brows knitted with irritation. "Don't be careless! If you don't slow down and take care of your body it's gonna give out on you," his tone was almost unquestionable, almost.

"Hm. I said I am fine. You needn't worry—I'm not tired or hungry anyway," I stated with an undertone of bravado. Of course I was starving! I hadn't gotten a bite to eat or to drink in hours, and it was more annoying since I didn't even eat breakfast. But, I wasn't gonna just take a lunch break now and go off and rest so I would have to fall into the rhythm of sparring again.

Plus, this was what I wanted for so long: to spar, have some sort of solidarity with Piccolo, to gain his respect. I knew that the only way to do so was in battle, matching each other with strength and agility.

My sensei gave me a stern once over. "Fine," he grumbled, then added stoically, "This'll be an all out spar session, then. Energy blasts, phasing, everything you've learned; don't hold back kid, cuz I won't." He got into stance; was so close that I finally noticed that most of the superficial wounds on his gorgeous face were healed.

I fell into my own stance. We stood there, facing each other, neither blinking so as to not give the other the advantage of phasing. Then…

BOCK! BOCK! GOOM! BIT-BASH—!

We went at each other at the exact same time, tenacity and iron stubbornness in both of our gazes. It was merely hand-to-hand, but neither of us was bearing through the other's defenses. Of course, Piccolo began to use his expertise in trash talk to try and waiver my concentration.

"C'MON KID! Stop trying to hit me and HIT ME!" he shouted challengingly as he ducked away and out of the course of a roundhouse kick, then swatted away a ki ball I had thrown before flipping out of the way of his long, kicking legs.

"Shut-up and stop moving if you want me to hit you so bad!" I shouted through clenched teeth. Then, foolishly thinking I was far enough from his powerful limbs and that all I had to worry about was energy blasts, Piccolo's left arm thrusted towards me like a python and he clamped his hand on my slender neck; retracted the powerful limb, bringing me to be nose to nose with him.

He tightened his grip, forcing the air in my throat to press against my lungs, trying to find release.

"You're gonna let me snap your neck?! C'mon! Get out of this! Your lungs will cave in on you if you don't!" he snarled as he bared his fangs at my weakness, my legs going limp from the lack of oxygen.

"CAH-AHNT!" I pounded at his forearm, digging my talon like nails into his leathery flesh, and his grip only intensified. "TRYIINGH!" I could feel my temples throbbing from my frenzied pulse and my lungs screamed for oxygen.

"Don't try! DO!" his shouting was getting muffled as if I was falling fast, and the only thing that was loud was the fierce beating of my heart as it banged into my chest.

I-WILLNOT-FAIL!

Next thing I knew, I shouted like a maddened animal and pulled my legs up and wrapped them around Piccolo's neck, squeezing with all my might. Then, he let go of my neck to attempt to pry my legs off, giving me the leverage I needed. I pulled my upper body down and flipped, so my legs gripped around his thick neck pulled and hurled him over. I hit the floor and landed on my stomach, gasping hungrily for oxygen while Piccolo skidded against the chamber floor meters behind me.

Ghost fingers still gripped my neck as my blood pounded through the veins that had been stifled from their purpose. The burning of my lungs ceased as my pants and gasps drew back to laborious inhaling and exhaling. How the hell did I do that?

Before my mind could answer me, I was hauled up by the back of the shirt and then swiftly kicked in the midriff, sending me crashing to the ground a good distance away from my original panting place.

The thick bile rose in my mouth, my gagging reflex almost getting me to keel over and hurl the contents of my empty stomach. I fell to my knees, then my stomach. My hair clung to my sweaty skin, messy but surprisingly not a bird's nest of tangles. I felt a ki surge stalking towards me, so I came up with a half-assed strategy and hoped it would at least suffice. The static and heat that radiated from Piccolo's intense aura licked at my exposed skin and gave me goosebumps.

"You're resilient," my sensei's statement sounded more like an insult than praise. I just laid flat on my stomach, not moving; Just wait for it… I instructed myself and waited for Piccolo's almost predictable move.

I could almost feel the sneer he directed to my back. "If you won't get up I'll kick you up!" He pulled his foot back with the intention of kicking me like a football, but before his foot came to strike my side, I grabbed his heel and turned it to an awkward angle, then sent him flying back with a kick that connected with his abs.

"OOF!" he landed on his back, taken so by surprise by my possum trick that he glared incredulously back at me.

I pulled myself up. "Well after all that bitchin' you did about wanting me to hit you all you can do is look at me like an angsty Green Bean!" I scoffed at him, whipping my hair out of my face.

Piccolo snarled and sprung up, powered up, and flew at me with that gliding speed of his. I powered up as well, got into stance, and blocked the flurry of fists, kicks and energy blasts. I blocked all of it, and surprised myself with the grace and ease I did so.

Then, my vision got into this focus, like when something is slowed down for you. I could sense Piccolo's attack before he was even done with the one preceding it!

When I caught Piccolo's fist and gave him a sweet sock to the chin, I was floored. "You're getting slow," I mused gruffly as he stumbled back a few steps.

"You cocky—!" Piccolo got cut off by the fist I planted in his gut, which actually doubled him over. Then I gave him a good blow to the chin with my knee. He flew upwards from the blow. I phased out to appear where he would have kept ascending to and nailed him in the back with laced fists— sweet payback for before— sending him like a volleyball to spike back to the chamber floor.

However, Piccolo landed like a cat on his feet, glaring with incredible malice up at me in the air.

Then, HE DID IT! He made my heart race fangirl style as he took his turban off and let it fall from his grasp; pulled the shoulder pads and cape off and tossed them off to the side. He was in his delicious glory! His emerald pecs peeking out from under the plum gi shirt, his pink shoulder, bicep and tricep muscles flexing from the lack of weight they were used to having placed on them, and his antennae vacillating as he glowered at me with that iron countenance.

I pinched my nose just in time to thwart the nosebleed that planned to shoot out in a spurt. He was fucking delectable! I felt the heat come to my cheeks at how stupid I must've looked, being up in the air pinching my nose as I stared at Piccolo.

Managing to gain enough composure to restrain my hormones, I phased down to the ground to stand across from the sexy-ass Namek.

Piccolo's gaze was like jagged steel as he glared fiercely at me, dragging his gaze up to my eyes and boring his onyx orbs into me.

Suddenly, an expression I hadn't expected to creep onto his features appeared. His scowl softened and he actually gave me a lopsided smile. "You didn't hesitate. Nice to see that you learned something after the pummeling I've given you, kid."

I couldn't help the impish grin pull my lips. It was more than flattering to have Piccolo acknowledge me in that way, to see my progress and be satisfied with it.

"At the rate you're going you'll probably have all the combat training you need in less than the year we're in here," he remarked offhandedly and walked over to me, his arms at his sides, letting my eyes wander over his strong neck, defined collarbones and clavicle, then the top of his delectable-looking pecs, which were all glistening with a thin sheet of sweat that clung to his emerald skin.

When he was standing only paces away from me, I diverted my gaze from his sculpted physique. "I don't think that's true. I mean, I was barely able to not get kicked around like soccer ball the whole time we sparred," I mumbled as I looked over to the side, fidgeting with my hair as I spoke.

Piccolo grunted softly, pulling my gaze back to his handsome visage. "Don't think you are. Know you are," he stated stoically as he crossed his arms over his chest.

I cocked an eyebrow at his statement, wondering why it sounded so familiar, when it hit me. I looked at Piccolo, bit my lip, then started laughing my ass off.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA-AHAHAHEHE—!" I doubled over from the laughter then fell to the ground, not able to contain myself. My laughter was so much that I could hardly breathe. "Oh God! Hahahaha—Morpheus! The Matrix! Hahahahahaa!"

My Namekian roommate and sparring partner stared at me with a sweatdrop on the side of his head. After it was obvious that the only way the laughter would die away was to interrogate me, Piccolo growled like a panther. "Grrrrgh! WHAT'S SO DAMN FUNNY?" he shouted practically in my face.

I was regaining control, but it was just too damn much. When I looked up at Piccolo, I realized that he even sorta looked like Morpheus! That almost got me to die laughing again, since it was sorta like I was Neo and we were both sparring like in the dojo scene.

"Nothing! Hehehe, just trying to 'free my mind'," I grinned ridiculously and said the last part with my cheap Morpheus impression as I stood up in a leap, and then jumped in the air and hovered stupidly in front of a very perturbed Piccolo.

God I wish I had those little sunglasses he wears so I could put them on Piccolo. He'd look so awesome, then add the suit and tie and trench coat and the costume would be complete!

As I mused over the way Piccolo would look fighting against agents, I got bonked really hard on the head. "What the hell are yah babbling like a moron for? And who is this 'Morpheus' you mentioned?" Piccolo interrogated gruffly as he glowered down at me.

That brought me back to ground as I rubbed the top of my head. I looked up at him, his sexy lips in a sort of pout.

"It's just what you said before was a popular quote from this awesome movie and you reminded me of the character and—" Piccolo cut my rant off by clamping his large hand over my face, instantly silencing me.

"Kid, I really don't care anymore. Control yourself already," he grumbled sternly as I peered at him through the gaps between his splayed fingers. His hand was really warm and not calloused like I had expected it to be. It reeked of his rugged scent and his palm was tough but smooth at the same time.

I had to REALLY restrain myself from licking and kissing his palm and taking every single digit into my mouth. I shut my eyes and exhaled, my breath hitting my face as Piccolo pulled his hand away.

When I looked back up at Piccolo's expression, I knew then and there that I was royally screwed. His eyes were flickering with this menacing quality and his scowl was replaced by a sadistic quirk in his features.

"Now," he rumbled deeply, lowering himself to eye level with me, "where were we?" his tone was smug but was accompanied with a cold and calculating feel to his words, letting me know my ass was in jeopardy after the show I put on during our spar.

"Argh…I forgot?" I replied with an apprehensive inflection in my voice.

"Hm, good thing I didn't, kid. You owe me—" He leaned in closer, "Big Time."

AHHHRGH! Why can't we just kiss, fuck, and make up! I rhymed in my head as retribution let me know that it too could be one Hell of a Bitch!


God, I reek! She thought as she sniffed herself, her nose wrinkling at her disheveled appearance.

The sparring match had come out to a draw, which was the best she had ever expected for her to turn out in a fight against the cut throat Namek who was presently leading the way back to the small palace in the middle of the endless void.

The manner that it had come to be a draw was fluttering in her mind, getting her to bite her lip and brush the moment away.

Landing just before the steps going into the main room, Piccolo walked up and entered, the gravity easing off of his shoulders. Sofia landed with a graceful padding of her converse behind him.

Glaring at the steps and hating the fact that she would have to exhaust herself with the task of going over to them, Sofia forced her legs to carry her so that she could collapse in the gravity-relieved floor of the palace.

She sighed mentally, too tired to do it physically, AT LEAST IT'S OVER WITH! I can take a bath and lose the B.O. and EAT! Soooo hungry, she whined mentally as she stumbled over the first step and practically hopped the next 2 to be in the palace.

Piccolo, without his weighed gear, stretched his tense back and wiped the sweat that still clung to his brow. "Get something to eat and relax for a while. Afterwards we'll go back and spar some more," he stated stoically. Hearing a weird scuffing sound behind him, he turned his head to his pupil, and found himself looking at an empty spot.

He grunted, then looked down. At hearing her sensei's comment, Sofia deflated and sunk to the floor like a pool of discarded cloth. Piccolo looked at her with a sweatdrop hanging leveled with his turban-less head.

"…I gotta go to tha bathroom," Sofia stated flatly as her deflated form dragged itself to the mentioned room, went in, and slammed the sliding door behind itself.

Piccolo just stared at the door with his brow raised. 'I wonder what that was about,' mused Nail with curiosity in his tone to his baffled counterpart.

'Don't know and don't care,' Piccolo grumbled as he lowered himself to sit in the lotus position and leaned his back against a pillar of the entrance, just a few paces away from the kitchen. He crossed his arms and bowed his head, relaxing to the point of zoning out his surroundings and beginning his meditation.

'Hey Piccolo. Perhaps she is perturbed about having to spar with you again after what happened during your last session,' remarked Nail just as Piccolo was easing into his meditative state.

Piccolo grunted in aggravation, more from the fact that his counterpart brought that circumstance up than from the fact he interrupted his meditation.

His mind remembered with vivid detail what had occurred. They had been in intense battle above the chamber floor for hours. They had wagered that whoever touched the chamber floor below first would be the loser, so both fighters were focused and fiercely determined to topple and drive the other to the ground.

Kick, block, uppercut, phase; combos in almost every style and the blows and shouts echoed in the endlessness, neither of the competitors prevailed in the intensity. Both, frustrated and irritated by the others resilience, suddenly and simultaneously cupped their hands outward and discharged a ki blast, sending each other to be blown back towards the chamber floor.

Skidding to a halt only mere meters from the floor, both opponents glowered at each other. That was close, they both thought as they caught their breaths, their glares never leaving the other.

Then they phased and were back at each other higher in the air, every blow and shout resonating. They weren't exhausted, but on the contrary were spurred on by determined energy and perseverance. Although, one shared quality kept nagging at them. Impatience. This impatience led to their mutual downfall and to the odd outcome of the session.

Fueled by exasperated impatience, Piccolo struck Sofia with a hit to the jaw, which snapped her frame backwards towards the ground. As she fell backwards, she reciprocated by kicking Piccolo in the chin, which jarred his jaw and sent him ascending.

They both halted in the air, Piccolo in the zenith and Sofia 50 feet from the ground. Snarling in agitation, Piccolo powered up and lost his patience.

"MA-SENKO-HA!" he shouted between clenched teeth as the powerful ki blast discharged from his palms and followed a course straight towards Sofia.

Momentarily panicking at her sensei's sudden attack, Sofia swatted the pulsing blast away from her with her telekinesis and blindly shot her own ki blast. Both blasts followed a parallel course as they ascended past Piccolo, missing the Namek by only a couple of feet.

Then, both fighters watching the course of their energies; Piccolo's blast touched Sofia's and detonated in an almost deafening roar— the shock waves rippling in the atmosphere. Those shock waves collided against Piccolo's back and sent him hurdling to the chamber floor, not before he collided with Sofia on the way down and took her with him.

"OOF-ACK!" Both contenders hit the floor just as the waves began to dissipate and the roar began to dull and grow to a murmuring echo, Sofia on her back with Piccolo on top of her.

Both were gasping from having the breath knocked out of their lungs, their panting lips only inches away from the others. When they managed to acquire steady intakes of oxygen back to their strangled breaths, they finally became aware of their present positions.

"…" Staring wide eyed at each other, their facial features flushed slightly as the nearness of the other assaulted their composures. They were pressed fully against each other, their sweat mingling and their hands absently clutching each other— Sofia gripped the cloth at his sides as Piccolo had both hands planted against her back, basically under her.

They were so close that the bulbous tip of his antennas subtly grazed her bangs and forehead; their lips were in danger of brushing against one another.

Sofia let her hands trail up to his shoulder blades, causing him to stiffen in surprise, then gripped his shoulders tightly.

"Piccolo…you're crushing my solar plexus—" she breathed out in a strangled and embarrassed tone.

Snapped out of his slightly mortified daze, Piccolo nodded and got up off of her. Sofia stayed sprawled on the floor, a bright tint assaulting her gently-pronounced cheekbones.

Repressing a lustful sigh, she pulled herself off the ground and stood with her head bowed, not directing her gaze in any way to Piccolo.

Piccolo pulled his composure together and turned away from her. "We're going back to the palace," he stated, and without a glance towards her, shot up into the sky. Sofia snapped herself into apathy and followed her sensei's lead.

A fucking tie. Piccolo thought as he brushed the memory away and snapped his eyes closed, grunted, and relaxed, falling out of his general meditation pose and leaning his broad back against the cold pillar behind him.

'I should've known better than to get mixed up with that girl,' he grumbled.

'Just stop denying your feelings and it will become easier,' suggested Nail aloofly.

'Why do you insist upon such a stupid idea! I'm a Namek! I can't feel anything for her and I don't!' snapped Piccolo gruffly at Nail.

'Are you that ignorant?! You actually believe that Namekians aren't capable of emotional attachment? You might be asexual, but you're not heartless. Loving and having an attachment to someone is part of every living being's soul— it's a yearning that everyone has, and you're not excluded,' Nail lectured emphatically.

'I'm the sole heir of Piccolo Daimao and the present Demon Lord! Of course I'm excluded,' Piccolo ground out tersely.

Nail paused, but countered with a scrupulous question. 'What about Gohan?'

'…'

'He sparked your conscience, Piccolo— he also became your best friend and was your first emotional attachment, remember? So… you're not restrained to a cold, emotionless existence. And, you're gravitating to her for the same reasons. She makes you feel things that you cannot explain, and as much as you deny it…you care for her.'

Nail received silence as a response.


She splashed icy water onto her face and tried to repress the trembling of her hands as she glared at herself in the mirror. It's official…he wants to kill me! She shouted in her mind as she wrung the excess water out of a washcloth and began to clean her wounds. Her battered knuckles stung and her body ached with bruises. She frowned at the bruise that discolored the right side of her jaw and huffed through her nose like an angry bull. The metallic taste of blood began to dissipate as she reflected on the last embarrassing situation.

She sniffed herself once again and grimaced. Not only do I reek, but Piccolo has really bad B.O.! I can smell him on my shirt, she paused and blushed.

Err… she noticed the necklace tucked under her shirt collar and pulled it out so that she could see if the pendant had sustained any damage. It was impeccably intact. She let the pendant rest over her shirt as she glared once again at her disheveled reflection. Hmph! Bastard…I look like a cat that got kicked around too many times. Dammit! She clenched her fists as her aggravation began to suffocate her; wanted to scream, to let out her frustration that had been mounting the whole day.

He won. He can walk around smugly and look down at me with that arrogant air of his because I look like a wreck while he doesn't even have a scratch, she snapped fiercely in her mind as she pounded the counter with her fist, causing it to tremble slightly.

She scowled at the mirror, but soon looked flabbergasted at what was being projected to her. The pendant pulsed fluently and her skin began to prickle. Then before her eyes, the bruise on her jaw began to un-swell and her natural color began to seep back to the area until there was no sign of the wound. She instinctively looked at her arms. The scrapes and swells were being healed, fading away like as if erased by mere will. Then her severely bruised back lost the aching throb that had resided there. After inspecting her entire form, she marveled at her regeneration.

"Perk numba 3…" she muttered in awe as she gazed at the garnet stone of the pendant, which whatever power that had pulsed from it had once again gone dormant.

Her thunderstruck expression melted to one of extreme elation. "I can regenerate—like a Namek! This is awesome!" she began to stretch her relieved limbs and grinned mischievously at herself in the mirror. She went about cleaning up as much as she could with the washcloth, then combed her hair back to its straight style.

Thrilled by the significance of her new ability, she pulled the door to the side and strode out with a smug strut in her pace, the grin never leaving her lips. She walked over and saw Piccolo sitting next to the pillars of the entrance with his eyes closed and his frame resting against the pillar.

Hearing her steps, Piccolo raised an eyelid to scrutinize her. After looking her over and sensing something had changed in her appearance, he focused his entire gaze on her.

"You look different—why!?" he asked gruffly. Sofia's grin widened. "Well?!"

Her gaze was of pure smugness. "Oh. Just got a new power," she paused as Piccolo raised a skeptical brow ridge at her. To emphasize further, she extended her left forearm in front of her and with her other hand dug her now dagger-like talons into her flesh and dragged her nails upward, instantly creating deep gashes. She did this with a slight intake and hiss of breath.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Piccolo shouted in shock as he sprung up and grabbed Sofia's arm to stop her. He held the wrist of the injured arm and pulled the other away as he glared at her.

"RELAX! Just look," she commanded and gestured to her injured arm. Piccolo looked and clenched his jaw tightly. No blood poured out— then before his eyes, the gashes were melding together and sealing up, until not even a scar was left.

"…you can heal yourself." He dragged out after a tense silence.

"I prefer to say 'Regenerate', Namek. Now the odds are officially even between us," she stated coolly and pulled her arm out of his grip.

He grunted and stared at her, wondering just how much she was going to change during the year. Acquiring so many abilities in such a short time is unheard of. If she keeps it up she'll have the potential to be virtually unstoppable in battle, he commented mentally as he scoffed and went to meditate, shrugging off her presence.

She rolled her eyes at his usual indifference and went to the kitchen to sate her severe hunger. Deciding to pig out Saiyan style, she went about preparing all the foods of her liking that wouldn't take long to make. The main room echoed with the noise of pots clanking together, drawers being sifted through, plates and bowls clanking when placed on the counter, the sink running, the slamming of the refrigerator door, and so on from the kitchen.

Piccolo's chances of getting any meditation done were completely shot to hell with the racket being made. He had the right mind to holler for her to stop, but remembered how he berated her for not eating, and decided against it.

After a short while, tantalizing scents began to waft into the main room. Piccolo found himself involuntarily finding the scents pleasing, but decided to give his meditation one more try to drown out the feeling.

Sofia came back to the main room with a plate balanced between the crook of her arm, one bowl held in one hand and another smaller one in the other. Behind her were two ice cold bottles of water that floated to her pace. She noticed Piccolo, back in his usual pose— with his scowling brow and pouting lips— and couldn't help chuckle at his bratty expression.

The handsome Namek acknowledge her presence with a sharp glance, to which she feigned indifference. She went over and placed her meal on the floor just across from him. She then took the floating water bottles in her hands and offered one to him. His scowl melted into his stoic semblance as he reluctantly accepted her offering, being that he was very thirsty from the previous sessions.

She gave him a simple smile as she went to sit in front of her bountiful meal, her legs crossed just like Piccolo's. She was facing him, but was too famished and tired to care if watching her eat was repulsive to him.

"You know, that table's purpose is for such occasion of stuffing your face," remarked gruffly Piccolo as he gave her an intense stare.

"That table is too small for all of this, and the floor seems more comfortable anyway," she responded coolly and began to choose her first meal. She had before her 2 very grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, a bowl filled with ramen, and a pair of 'platano' accompanied with olive oil, salt, and a hard-boiled egg.

Piccolo grunted and shut his eyes so as to get some meditation during her hopefully quiet meal. Unfortunately for him, her meal was nowhere near quiet.

SLLLLLUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP!

Snapping his eyes irritably open, he saw that Sofia had chosen the bowl of ramen, and was presently spooning the noodles in her mouth and slurping obnoxiously, but unintentionally loud. He just glared at her and cringed with every loud slurp, the sound like nails on a chalk board to his ears.

"Grrrrh! Must you do that!?" he growled in aggravation.

Sofia looked up at him, with a cascade of noodles in mid slurp at her lips. He grimaced at her and decided to take that time to gulp the contents of his water bottle down.

Slurping the contents she presently had, she wiped her mouth and glared at him. "It's ramen. The only way to eat them is by slurping," she paused as she got a searing glare from Piccolo. "Fine," she put the bowl down and picked up one of the sandwiches. "Happy?!" she scoffed.

Piccolo humphed and shut his eyes once again. He corrected his posture and began to clear his mind.

CRRRUNCH!-MUNCH, MUNCH, MUNCH!

Sofia had begun to devour the sandwich, which was very crunchy and toasted; the cheese bubbling hot as she licked the edges from where it seeped out.

"YOU'RE DOING IT ON PURPOSE! Cut it out!" roared haughtily Piccolo, his shout echoing in the room.

"NO I'M NOT! I'm eating, for Chryzsakes! Did you expect me to inhale my food quietly?!" she snapped challengingly.

"Yes!" he snarled hostilely.

She scoffed, took what remained of her sandwich and chomped it in one bite; then took the other and followed the same strategy, devouring it in less that 3 bites. As she did this she glared at Piccolo with a challenging gaze. Chugging some water, she gave him a haughty glare, then picked up the remaining food she hadn't yet savored.

"This is quiet food, so if you like you can take your nap now," she stated in a condescending tone.

Piccolo narrowed his onyx eyes at her. "Watch your tongue!" he grumbled before grunting and resuming his previous pastime.

As if by magic, the room was shrouded in silence. Piccolo inwardly smiled as he submerged himself in his meditation. Falling deep into the abyss of his conscious, his mind cleared and began to seek his own type of nirvana: knowledge. His best strategies always sprung from a calming session of meditation. He also saw disturbing visions, usually left over memories inherited by his father, but otherwise were semi premonitions of powerful pulls of energy that tended to disturb the Earth.

His mind was veiled in a crimson haze, as if a bloody mist was suddenly billowing through to him. Curious, Piccolo followed the eerie pull that his senses were being subjected to, falling deeper into his conscious. He suddenly felt like he was standing in a puddle, and decided to perch down and dip his fingers in the liquid.

Blood. The crimson liquid shimmered against his emerald fingers. He stood instantly and whirled around, the darkness around him becoming almost suffocating.

Mai… futagoza hitoshii…

The voice was barely a disembodied breath resonating in the darkness. Who's there!? Show yourself! Piccolo snarled ready for anything.

Kitanai oni! The words were spat with contempt, the voice barely a contained growl. KIEUSERU!

Piccolo got into stance, but was pulled out of the darkness by his savior: obnoxious slurping.


SLURRRRP!

"Delicious…" she looked over and noticed Piccolo didn't snap out of his trance. "Hm." She began to guzzle the remaining liquid from the bowl, now purposely making the irritating noises Piccolo so despised.

When she looked up from the bowl, she froze at the icy glare she was receiving from Piccolo. He grunted, but then shifted his gaze, as if distracted by thought. Sofia cocked an eyebrow at his sudden detachment, but was assaulted by a sudden belch.

BURRRP!

"Damn, 'scuse me!" Piccolo glared at her in disgust, thinking she could have been Goku's kid sister with such table manners.

"You fucking slob—can't you keep quiet for an extended period of time!?" he snapped haughtily and grimaced disdainfully.

"Hey! I said excuse me and I haven't said a goddamn thing to you the whole day, so take your extended period of silence and shove it!" She proceeded to grab all the dirty plates and huffed her way to the kitchen, and came storming back in.

Piccolo was on the brink of losing control. If only he could get silence! Especially after the disturbing and eerie vision he had suffered. Then he got an ingenious idea, but decided that he could force the technique by using his discretion as sensei.

He looked at Sofia with iron sternness. "Alright—enough! It's time for a new training exercise."

Sofia cocked her head to the side and grunted, finding the sudden shift from bickering to training odd.

Piccolo smirked to himself. "Now. You need to learn when to just listen and keep silent, especially if you're facing an opponent that you cannot see or sense. That's why for the next hour we'll take a vow of silence," he instructed gruffly.

Sofia snorted. "So, you're saying that neither of us can talk for the next hour?"

He nodded, expertly hiding his smugness. Not able to come up with a quip back, Sofia shrugged and sat back on the floor, going completely silent.

Satisfied by her obedience, Piccolo shut his eyes and simply relished in the utter silence. It actually worked. He thought as he straightened his posture and relaxed the tension built up in his upper back.

His tranquility was short lived, however.

He felt Sofia get up and heard the subtle sound of her retreating feet as she walked to her room. An instant later, she returned and sat in her previous spot. What the hell is she doing know… Piccolo grumbled to himself, but knew that whatever it was, she would in no way speak.

Then he heard the slight swish of paper and a fluent scribbling noise.

He opened his eyes and saw Sofia, sitting with her knees up and a sketchpad held in front of her, writing. She looked up over to him for a quick moment, then ducked her head back behind the sketchpad.

Getting incredibly annoyed, Piccolo opened his mouth to yell at her, but realized that he had included himself in the vow of silence, so he would be contradicting himself, and that was the last thing he needed to encourage her insubordination.

Then, she finished writing, flipped the sketchpad over and showed it to Piccolo.

Hey Piccolo. Do you plan on trying to gain world domination after Frieza gets taken out? And if you do, can I help?

She followed his roaming eyes and grinned when he looked back up at her. He smirked at her ploy. Very clever, kid.

She suddenly offered the pad to him and the pencil, giving him a look of insisting his participation. He frowned at her. She pouted, pulled the pad back, wrote in it and showed him.

Hey, I'm keeping silent like you instructed, oh wise sensei!

Piccolo glared at her after reading the message, then snatched the pad and pencil harshly.

NO. He wrote tersely and gave it back to her.

No you're not gonna take over the world, or no I can't help? Was her response, to which she cocked an eyebrow and smirked when he looked back at her.

The secod one is a defintly no. I'm stil not sure abot the first one. She deciphered his jumbled handwriting after being handed back the pad and managed to understand his answer.

She gave him a cool look. Then she wrote in very bold letters and handed him the message.

YOU FAIL AT GRAMMAR, NAMEK! She grinned goofily at him.

Piccolo was not amused. He gripped the pad, and wrote heatedly, irritation causing his features to slightly flinch.

DO NOT GET SMAT WITH ME, KID! IT NOT MY FALT

He shoved the sketchpad towards her and scowled, the vein at his temple becoming pronounced.

What do you mean; you dyslexic or something! But you read perfectly

She held up the pad and looked at him curiously. Piccolo begrudgingly took the pad ad wrote his response.

My father culd read inglish perfectly, but he culdnt rite it well not that he evr trye realy. So I got stuk with that deficincy bein that I inerited dose basic knoledje from him. And it not importat weder I can read or rite good. It servs no purpos for me. I rite japannese wel and am fluen in Namekkian and the othr to. That sufises.

Sofia had to repress the "Awww!" that wanted to escape her lips after reading Piccolo's reply. She had to really contain a giggle, being that as she read his response, in her mind she heard Piccolo's voice speaking as she read, so his tone in her mind sounded like baby talk. She bit her lip and began to write her reply.

Well, you're way wiser than me in other aspects that my impeccable grammar skills don't even compare. Was her sincere compliment, which got Piccolo to arch a curious brow at her.

Wahtevr. Was the apathetic response she read as he stared off to the side.

Hey Piccolo. Do you like fighting side by side with Goku, I mean, you were arch rivals…

He gave her a stoic stare after seeing how she sheepishly handed the pad back to him.

He thought a while of how to phrase his answer correctly, then wrote. He handed her the pad and waited for her expression.

Dumb Question.

Sofia looked up at him with her eyes narrowed sardonically. She wrote back, handed him the pad, and waited for his trademark expression.

SHITTY ANSWER!

His scowl deepened and his eyes were narrowed menacingly. He snatched the pad and began to write as heatedly as before.

It doesnt mater waht I thinc of Goku! He is a baka that beat me wonce! I don't care waht hapens to him. I will surpas him eventualy and cary on with my plans, wen I feel the time is right.

Sofia stared at his answer for a solid minute before looking back up at him. She wrote her reply and shoved it towards him forcefully for the first time.

What about Gohan? I guess you wouldn't care what happened to him either, huh. I believe you've found your calling, Green Bean, and it ain't world domination or killing Goku! After all, that's so in nowadays!

What is this! That's the second time that I've had that thrown in my face today! Was his grumbled mental remark as he took the pad, tersely wrote in it, then tossed on Sofia's lap.

ENOUFF ALREDY Not anothr fuking mesaje.

His intense gaze backed up his written command, so she left the pad on her lap and sighed.

He huffed through his nose and closed his eyes, letting the silence relieve his aggravation.

Then, after a fleeting moment of deafness, the sound of paper being ripped echoed subtly in the main room, accompanied by frenzied scribbling.

When Piccolo snapped his eyes open to glare at Sofia, a page from the sketchpad was hanging in front of his line of glaring.

Hey Piccolo. How do you pee?—very curious

"Arrgrrrh!" Piccolo took the page in his hands and tore it wildly to shreds, then tossed it over his head— the pieces flailing in the air like falling feathers— the veins of his temples were throbbing furiously.

Sofia looked at him with saucer-like eyes and bit her lower lip, a sweatdrop hung leveled with the side of her head.

After a minute, Piccolo pulled his composure together just as fast as he lost it and stood up. He took a cleansing breath and started walking to the palace steps.

'You know, it is normal for her to be curious about that, seeing as we have different physio—' Nail's aloof remark was cut off.

'SHUT-UP-NAIL!'

He composed himself deeper, then looked back at Sofia stoically.

"C'mon. We're going back to train," his monotone reverberated in the room. He turned his back to her and disappeared behind the pillars, out of her line of vision.

He completely lost it! Talk about getting your panties in a twist, her perturbed expression melted away. "Hey! Wait up," she shouted and ran after him, giggling as she followed him back out into the endlessness.

She didn't even realize that he had contradicted himself by breaking the vow of silence first.


Soooo tired….must-make-it-to bed, Sofia trudged towards the doorway leading to her side of the divide.

She had spent several hours at the mercy of a moody Namek and suffered few aches and pains, but the energy reserves that had spurred her on throughout her whole day were now depleted. She traversed the threshold and pulled her exhausted feet out of her sneakers, leaving them discarded by the dresser as she pulled herself towards the bed.

Crawling up to the pillow and over the disheveled comforter, she instantly collapsed and fell sound asleep, murmuring incoherently as she drifted into her unconscious plagued with the dreams that preyed on her.

Meanwhile, Piccolo was in the kitchen quenching his thirst and pondering over everything and anything, excluding Sofia. But, his mind sooner or later betrayed him and fell to the forbidden subject.

She's progressing fast. My expectations have completely been passed, but…there's still something that doesn't feel right with her. He grunted after realizing his mind once again wandered. Annoyed with himself, he went over to check on Sofia, but halted.

'You've been acting more detached than usual, Piccolo. Is something bothering you?' broke in Nail, wishing to have some sort of conversation after hours of silence between them.

'Hmph. Just a vision I had during meditation. And that girl,' Piccolo responded with apathy as he leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen.

'Oh? You're finally coming to reality and ready to profess your attraction to her, then?' sardonically chimed Nail.

'Shut up, Nail!' Piccolo scoffed as he pushed off the frame and started towards Sofia's quarters.

'Wow! She really must be on your mind if that is the only haughty remark you could make.' Nail's tone leaked that innuendo that was still way over Piccolo's head.

Now stalking over to the room absently, Piccolo lost his patience with his counterpart. 'Listen! If you're gonna say that stupid shit, at least do so without using an insinuative tone that—' He cut himself off as he passed the threshold to Sofia's room.

Already in deep slumber, Sofia was resting on her side— still fully clothed— and her deep brown strands covered her face and cascaded over her shoulders.

Piccolo froze, unable to help his eyes wander over her delicate form.

'She must have been exhausted. Did you have to be so harsh? After all, it was the first type of training she has ever experienced.' Nail's remark did not succeed in what he had expected to be a grumbling defense from his now stoic counterpart.

Piccolo went to stand by the side of the bed, looking down at his pupil. He grunted.

Tapered fingers combed through her hair, pulling the rogue strands behind her ear and grazing her delicate cheekbone. She slightly stirred in her sleep, but did not wake. Exhaling softly, he pulled the disheveled comforter and threw it over her all the way up to the nape of her neck.

He shook his head, trying to pull himself out of the semi daze he fell in. Going over to the purple drape that hung open, Piccolo irritably pulled the curtains closed, filtering out the intense brightness of the chamber's void.

Futagoza hitoshii… Hm…

He proceeded to stride back toward the dimensional divided, but glanced over at his sleeping roommate.

'DON'T SAY A FUCKING WORD! Nothing, Nail,' he snarled before his counterpart even began to attempt a remark, huffed and walked back through the divide to his side.


THANKS AND PLEASE REVIEW!

I'm a review whore and I enjoy getting feedback, so please, whether flames or praise, be sure to review. I would be very flattered and honored.

Oh, and so you know, those weird words that appear in the chapter are just gibberish, which the true meaning of will come to light later on in the fic.

Now, ON WITH THE THANKIES!

TiffyAngel: Thanks for simply reviewing! Everytime I read your messages I feel all fluffy inside.

Cyndi: I'm so happy you enjoyed the last chapter. Hope this one is to your liking as well.

Anasazi Darkmoon: Unfortunately for the Namek, he heals fast, so bruising him is always a fun pastime!

Kireii: Raisa you whore! ('Nuff said, hehe).

Nessa and Elwe Telrunya: Thank you very much and I hope you keep reading.

Black Tailed Saiyaness: Wow. Thank you for the praise and I really hope Piccolo's extra-strength anti tension pills don't work, since relieving it manually is always fun.

Gohan124: Hey Danny (only male reviewer so far) Hope you like this.

The Ace of Authors: Dude, I'm such a douche. In my haste to update I forgot to thank YOU! Please forgive my stupidity. Thanks for the support and (checks all pockets; pulls out 2.00) Hope you still got those movies for me!